Edith Camp, 96, Bernice Cecil, 92, Nora McDonald, 86, and Rose Ramsey, 84 – received their second doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine on Tuesday at the Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill, south of Philadelphia.
As children, they were known as Langley sisters, and the four wore buttons with pictures of their other sisters – Pauline Taylor, who was unable to come, and Doris Papiano, who died in 2011.
It was Cecil’s idea that they take their doses together, according to Ramsey’s daughter, Lori Goldsmid.
“It was my aunt Bernice’s idea to have them together, you know, for a little support from each other because it’s scary,” Goldsmid told CNN.
It took a while, but Goldsmid managed to get everyone to get their first dose at the same time.
“I was happy and relieved to get this over with and I was not nervous at all,” Ramsey told Goldsmid.
They didn’t have much of a chance to speak on Tuesday because of all the media attention, but they agreed that the team was very friendly.
“I can’t believe that so many people care that four old women get their vaccinations,” said Camp to his niece.
Before the pandemic, the five sisters saw each other regularly and all had lunch at least once a month.
Goldsmid said they are looking forward to seeing each other in about 10-14 days, once the vaccine has been in their systems long enough to give them maximum protection.
“We are already trying to make plans right now, whether we are going to do it at someone’s home or see if we can get a room at a restaurant for lunch,” she said.
They can talk on the phone and on FaceTime, but haven’t been able to meet or see other members of their big family since February last year.
“I think the hardest part for some of them was not seeing their grandchildren at the same time that they couldn’t see their sisters,” she said. “I think it is painful at that age not to be able to see anyone in your family.”
Goldsmid said the five sisters have more than 100 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-grandsons among them.